Constructed in 1961, the Tower Building in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition Historic District is a medium-scale International Style office building designed by local architect David Warren Hardwick. The building’s geometrical form, exposed ground-floor structure, flat roof, windows set flush to the outer walls, use of concrete and glass, and lack of traditional ornamentation are all design elements common to the International Style. A character-defining feature of the Tower Building is a plain but decorative, perforated brick exterior that encircles the building’s upper stories. Technically called a brise-soleil, it functions like a baffle to break up sunlight striking the building’s exterior. The combined effect of the Tower Building’s elevated massing and textured brise-soleil creates a distinctive visual pattern, making it a unique modernist landmark in Richmond from the post-World War II era.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia